North Hills requiring masks for staff, students until county's covid transmission rate dips

The North Hills School District responded to the recent increase in covid-19 transmission rates in Allegheny County by approving a measure requiring all staff and students to wear masks when they return to classes from summer break on Aug. 25.

The revised policy approved by the board also contains provisions for it to be relaxed or lifted based on changes in the county’s transmission rate.

The board suspended its Aug. 5 meeting and reconvened on Tuesday night after failing to approve a Health and Safety Plan that recommended all students wear masks while indoors, but left the final decision to parents.

In addition to eliminating the measure giving parents the option on masks, the board voted down five other measures related to the mask policy, including one that would have required all students and staff in all grades to wear them and another that only required masks in the elementary schools.

The other three options would require masks based on Allegheny County’s level of community transmission and other factors.

The policy approved Aug. 17 by a 6-3 vote requires masks while indoors for staff and students in every grade.

School Directors Dee Spade, Katie Poniatowski and Rachael Rennebeck voted against the measure.

Superintendent Pat Mannarino said going back to requiring masks is not something that he wanted to do.

“How do we keep our kids in school every day and keep them healthy and safe? Unfortunately they have to put masks on,” he said. “I don’t want it as a parent and I was hoping we would be beyond this. I’m hopeful that we can get out of this at some point without masks.”

The new policy requires masks for all students and staff while they are indoors when the county’s transmission rate is at the “substantial” or “high” level.

Allegheny, Westmoreland and several surrounding counties are currently at a high level of covid-19 transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC defines a “high” covid-19 transmission level as more than 100 cases per 100,000 people or a 10% positivity rate in a particular county over seven days.

If the county’s transmission rate drops to a “moderate” transmission rate, only unvaccinated people will be required to wear masks.

The mask mandate will be lifted when the county moves into a “low” rate of virus spread.

Residents were not permitted to comment during the reconvened meeting because the opportunity to speak was provided Aug. 5, according to solicitor Michael Witherel.

“This is a continuation of a regular meeting that was scheduled and publicized for August 5th,” he said. “The public comment period took place then.

“The board also allowed comment before the meeting was continued to tonight just in case there were people who had something that was off the agenda so they didn’t have to come back here tonight.

“There was plenty of time for the public to comment. There is no need under the (state) Sunshine Law for additional comment at this time.”

Board President Allison Mathis read a statement on behalf of the superintendent and herself stating that:

“The North Hills School District is recommending universal masking at this time in align with most other district in this area because this approach allows us the best opportunity to provide in-person learning five days a week with minimal quarantine-based disruptions.

“In person learning is the most important common district goal,” she said.

Mathis also cited recent guidance from the Allegheny Health Department that students who wear masks and remain between 3- and 6-feet apart would not have to be quarantined if they come into contact with a person who has tested positive for covid-19.

The district’s health and safety plan also contains many measures instituted last year to help slow the spread of the virus including keeping people apart and more frequent cleaning and sanitizing of surfaces.

“We acknowledge that some parents, students or employees might be frustrated by this recommendation, or may be experiencing mask fatigue,” she said.

“But safe, full, in-person education is an extremely positive step in the right direction and a return to normalcy,” Mathis said in the joint statement.